Conventionally, for a cathode of an alkaline battery, a mixture of a high-concentration alkaline electrolytic solution (a high-concentration aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide, which may contain zinc oxide or the like as required) and zinc powder and/or zinc alloy powder, etc., has been used principally, and in order to prevent sedimentation of the zinc powder or the like in the alkaline electrolytic solution, it has been proposed, for example, to use therein, as a gelling agent, a water-absorbing resin obtained by insolubilizing a poly(meth)acrylic acid and a salt of the same with use of a crosslinking agent (Patent documents 1 to 3). Further, from the viewpoint of the prevention of sedimentation of a zinc powder, the prevention of leakage from a battery, and the improvement of productivity of a battery, it has been proposed to use a gelling agent whose particle diameter is relatively large and an alkaline electrolytic solution having a reduced spinnability (Patent document 4).
[Patent document 1] JP 8(1996)-28216B
[Patent document 2] JP 8(1996)-12775B
[Patent document 3] JP 10(1998)-50303A
[Patent document 4] Japanese Patent No. 3323468